The MUTV broadcast booth high above Old Trafford once again echoed with its signature opening line—though this time, it wasn't Denis Irwin's voice leading the charge.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Manchester United!"
As the host's booming voice reverberated through the stadium's giant screens, the red and blue armies of Manchester United and Chelsea marched onto the pitch, led by their respective captains.
Claire Lee, as usual, stood in the middle of the pack—neither at the front nor the back. Cristiano Ronaldo had taken Wayne Rooney's usual spot at the head of the line, while Gabriel Heinze—the man who had once tried to usurp Rooney's captaincy—was already sidelined for the season. Though Sir Alex Ferguson never publicly explained why, the team's resident gossip, Park Ji-sung, had already leaked that Heinze would be transferred in the winter window.
Inside the tunnel, Rooney seemed unusually chummy with Chelsea's players, cracking jokes and easing the tension between the two sides.
"Chelsea has a lot of internationals. Whenever there's a winter training camp, Rooney's always gone for ages," Park whispered to Claire.
"So, do you have to go back to South Korea for training too?" Claire asked, playing the clueless rookie.
Park puffed up his chest. "I played in the 2002 World Cup! I don't usually join the domestic team, but if I did, I'd be captain!"
Out of nowhere, Chelsea's captain, John Terry, appeared in front of them, letting out a disdainful snort.
Claire blinked in confusion, but Park—a seasoned Premier League veteran—immediately fired back: "Oh, what's this? Are you here to vent your frustration early because you already know you're going to lose?"
Normally, Park wouldn't dare talk back like this. But today was different—he had Sir Alex's blessing, and even the club's ownership had tacitly approved.
Chelsea's reputation for on-field trash talk and dirty tactics was well-known, and as a Premier League newcomer, Claire was a prime target. The entire team was worried—after all, United's financial future this season rested on their "golden boy."
And with Claire's "Glass Man" nickname spreading across the league (given his pitiful five appearances in half a season), Chelsea smelled blood.
Terry ignored Park's taunts. Instead, he locked eyes with Claire—this was clearly a premeditated move. Rooney, entangled in conversation at the front of the tunnel, couldn't intervene without causing a scene in front of the media and referees.
Two Chelsea substitutes suddenly boxed Park in, while the ball boy who had been beside Claire mysteriously vanished. Only Michael Carrick remained nearby—but as a benchwarmer, he wasn't about to pick a fight with John Terry. He stood frozen, unsure what to do.
Everything happened in seconds. Before United's players could react, Terry was already in Claire's face.
Claire didn't need an explanation—he knew exactly what this was. Today was his debut, but for Chelsea, it was a potential "day of reckoning."
If Chelsea won, they'd celebrate. If they lost? Claire would rise to stardom by trampling over them.
Claire had braced for this. Without hesitation, he shoved aside Claude Makélélé, who had stepped up to intimidate him.
Makélélé didn't back down. Instead, he pressed his chest and face aggressively against Claire's.
But Claire didn't flinch. He stared straight at Terry and declared, loud enough for everyone to hear:
"You're Chelsea's captain, right?"
"You might not know me. My name is Claire Lee."
"Remember this: The only reason Chelsea ever won before is because I wasn't here. From this moment on—every minute, every second—if you face me, I swear on my career: If you beat United, I'll retire."
The tunnel erupted.
Ronaldo charged in like a bull, sending Makélélé sprawling onto his backside with a single shove.
Both teams surged forward, shoving and shouting—but no one threw the first punch. Rooney and Frank Lampard arrived late to the fray, with Lampard looking awkwardly at his friend.
Rooney, however, ignored him. Running a hand through his thinning hair, he roared:
"F**k's sake, Claude! Terry! Is this your idea of football? You idiots—if I report this to the FA, you know what'll happen!"
Claire didn't mind Rooney's half-hearted threat. This was clearly Terry's doing—an attempt to rattle him before the match. But from the looks on their faces, Chelsea hadn't expected such a fierce counterattack from a "rookie."
Rooney, for his part, seemed eager to downplay the incident. If he'd wanted to escalate, he wouldn't have singled out Makélélé—a Congolese player with less than a year at Chelsea and no powerful backing.
Claire didn't thank Rooney. Instead, he grabbed Ronaldo and Park and calmly said:
"See you on the pitch… trash."
Chelsea's players barely reacted—except for Terry and Rooney, who exchanged uneasy glances.
The commotion quickly drew referees and media, but by the time they arrived, the conflict had fizzled out.
Reporters at the tunnel entrance buzzed with excitement—some had even heard fans cheering during the scuffle! If not for the deafening stadium DJ, security might've stormed in.
As the DJ's voice boomed again, the two teams finally stepped onto the pitch.
The match between Manchester United and Chelsea had begun.
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